nebula 1; video

[flatteries]

[ Guess who isn't used to making announcements over this thing and is heavily trying to surpress some social anxiety right now? This guy.

To his credit, he manages to smile rather convincingly, no matter how much he's sweating on the inside. ]

Hello, everyone..! I'm not sure if a lot of people tried out the arcade back on Diagad, but there was this charming game that involved having to dance..? [ DDR. He means DDR.

He just doesn't know it. ]

Either way, it was a lot of fun, so I got one of those machines for it here on the train! Anyone can use it, just.. please be careful and don't break it? It cost a lot of points! [ He worked hard for those!! ] If anyone thinks that it looks or sounds like fun, but has no idea how to use it, feel free to ask me for help! I can teach people!

[ ...

There's a slight pause, and then he adds with a bit more awkwardness: ]

Ah, and if.. someone could help me move that big, heavy thing.. I would certainly appreciate it.

Comments

[blitzcheer]

We have games like these back home too!

[ Pfft! Pfft, Inigo! Not to speak about being in Jinnjar too.

Though, there is one downside starting to show itself - these weren't exactly his go-to games either, and as the rhythm picks up, the multiple arrow presses with it, it is staying to trip him up more. He's not getting perfects or combos, but-- shit, Tidus, focus! Inigo may be paying attention to the music, but Tidus is only trying to pay attention to the screen and keeping up with his feet.

Man, this is completely different from swimming or throwing a ball... his feet only go up and down in a pool! ]

[flatteries]

[ Curse you, Zanarkand technology!

Curse you!

But once the music starts to speed up, Inigo no longer even has the bandwidth to look at Tidus's side of the screen. He has to glance back to his own, even though he's listening more than looking. He only has to look at the screen to see which arrows specifically he needs to step on, since the stepping on them on the beat is not as difficult.

Even though he's really focusing. He doesn't even pipe up anymore, because he really needs his full attention to keep hitting the right arrows. It's still a little nerve-inducing, since what if Tidus is doing this even better than him.. m-maybe he'll be fine as long as he keeps this combo going?!

Especially since the song is getting so close to the end now. So close. Come on, Inigo, this is the home stretch..! ]

[blitzcheer]

[ What's a combo? Tidus manages to get a few in places, but the closer the arrows get, the more difficult it is to know how to jump to what's next, or to react swiftly with punching the ground with his feet. That's the real pain for him. Actual dancing was way easier than this...!

But the music finally comes to an end, and with it - not exactly Tidus's misery, but his wake-up call, to how tough these can be. The screen calculates and shows their scores, Tidus with misses and Goods, more than he's got the Greats. Tidus looks over at Inigo's score, and his grade compared to Tidus's is as clear as day.

He sighs loudly, throwing up his hands. ]

Alright, you got me! Congrats, you're still the dancing king!

[flatteries]

[ Inigo lets out the longest breath ever, immediately leaning back against the railing behind them as he tries to keep himself from collapsing.

Maybe he took this game just a little bit too seriously, but he can't help it. Even though Inigo isn't the competitive sort - usually - there's just something about the thought of being outdone when it comes to dancing that threatens to make him feel real cruddy.

So when Tidus says that, he rubs his face with one hand. ]

Oh, thank Naga.. [ You'd think he was just being dramatic like usually, but no, all of these emotions are weirdly genuine. ] I really thought I was going to lose..!

[blitzcheer]

[ Well! Look at Inigo. He isn't immediately surprised by the display of exhaustion, some part of Tidus telling him he's just like this than figuring out any deeper meaning for it. That works out, right? Tidus's brain sure thinks so.

He chuckles instead, leaning back on his own piece of railing. Looking back to the game, still keeping on their scores until they move back to the menu manually. ]

So - round two?

[ This is the game Inigo's been looking forward to. He must be ready for a second game! ]

[flatteries]

[ He lets out a sound that almost sounds like he's being strangled.

Because he is! He's getting metaphorically strangled over here! ]

I can't. [ He manages to force out between deep breaths, waving a hand dismissively. ] If I do another game right away, it might just kill me.

[ Not even the exhaustion, no. He could do another game energy-wise. It's the stress that's threatening to end him right now. ]

[blitzcheer]

Eh? Really? [ Huh! ] How many games did you play before I got here?

[ Aha, 'cause that must be the reason. He gives Inigo a slap to the back of his arm. ] Alright, later then. Gives me a chance to get better 'til round two!

You wanna go get a drink, do something else? Leave this for other people to find and have a go with.

[ There was that thing that Tidus wanted him to do, but he'll give Inigo a chance to do whatever he wants to, first. ]

[flatteries]

[ .. you know what? Sure. He'll let Tidus believe that. It feels a whole lot less pathetic.

So Inigo sucks in a breath before nodding. ] Sure.

[ A drink doesn't sound so bad right about now.. ]

Are there any ingredients for smoothies this month? You know, since the main ingredient is.. [ You know.

You know. The weird mystery meat. It's not exactly a prime smoothie ingredient, even Inigo has learned as much by now. ]

[blitzcheer]

There's Persephone's strawberries. [ Which, thank goodness for that. ] There's nothing extra with the recipes we got. It's all burgers and stews!

[ And not even exciting burgers or stews! They've been ripped off with this ingredient!

Regardless: ]

That sound fine? [ Since, of all the fruits to have, Inigo likes strawberries, so that should be up the guy's alley. ] Maybe we should see about getting some more fruit plants just for smoothies. What do cherries grow on?

[ A bush? A tree? ]

[flatteries]

Um.. I think they grow on trees? Since they're a bit larger than regular berries. [ Which usually grow on bushes.

Gosh, Inigo has eaten way too many berries off bushes during his life. This is what happens when you try to survive out there.. ]

But I imagine a lot of them would grow on a single tree, so even if we had just one of those in the greenhouse, we'd still end up with a lot of cherries.

[ Which sounds great to Inigo. He will take all the strawberry- and cherry-flavoured stuff, thanks. ]

[blitzcheer]

[ Hah. ] So that next on the list of cars to get? After art, pool- dance, [ he's sure not to forget (this time!) as he ticks off his fingers. ] --then a second greenhouse so we can fit in a cherry tree?

[ Could they fit in a cherry tree now? Tidus doesn't want to ask the growing-planty people. He's slipped off the machine pad now, waiting for Inigo to follow, or at least not to leave him behind. ]

How about blackberries?

[flatteries]

Oh, those grew on bushes.

[ He's getting off the pad too, wiping his nervous fear sweat off his forehead as he sounds much more sure about that one. ]

I didn't get a whole lot of cherries back home, but I did eat a lot of blackberries off bushes.

[ As he's taking a few steps, he hums. ]

Still, whether it's a tree, or even just a bush.. I don't think there's that much space left in the greenhouse by now. [ And while Inigo does have some flowers there, aside from the ones in his room, his own little spot certainly isn't big enough to fit in a tree or a bush. ]

[blitzcheer]

We could take over the garden? How about that? Get a tree and plenty of dirt around it, some lights and water - and presto! All those stones everywhere are boring anyway.

[ Here is Tidus, never respecting the zen of a stone garden. He's walking down the stairs, to where the transgate is shoved in a corner. ]

Maybe we could even find something on the next mission! Uh... not a tree though.

[ But something? Something less big. ]

[flatteries]

[ There's a pause.

A long pause. Honestly, Inigo doesn't even speak up until they're right next to the transgate, as if he had to think that hard about it - and still came up with nothing, apparently, because the first thing he does is ask Tidus: ]

How.. do you grow a tree?

[ HOW ARE TREES MADE. Can they really grow from one tiny seed the way other plants do?! Inigo is a flower expert, not a tree expert! ]

[blitzcheer]

I don't know! [ There's no need to think about it, since Tidus already did. How do you grow a tree?! What's even-- ] What's a tree seed look like? Wait- cherries have the bits inside them, right? Do you plant those? Do you have to crack them?

[ Because they're hard, aren't they? They can't be the seeds. ...unless they are.

At least Tidus isn't distracted the entire time for setting the location to the store car. ]

Do you think it'd work if we saved the seeds from buying ingredients for smoothies?

[ Cherries and smoothies! ]

[flatteries]

But cherry seeds are so.. small.

[ Inigo is holding his fingers apart just a little bit - just about the size of a cherry, like he's trying to imagine how small those tiny hard things inside of them must be, if cherries are already not big to begin with. How can something so small become an entire tree?

.. it baffles him. Though he shakes his head, trying to snap out of it as he looks over at Tidus. ]

I guess we can try though. [ Especially if they already had the seeds anyway, since it's just part of the cherry! ] No harm, no foul, right? What's the worst that could happen?

[ And the transgate activates!! Let's go, let's go! ]

[blitzcheer]

[ He wants to say about how tiny all seeds look, but he gets Inigo's point too. And he's not the gardener here - what does he know?

So he'll take the easy road of Just Trying. No harm, no foul, like Inigo says.

TO SMOOTHIE MAKING LAND THEY GO. ]